


And Found Wanting

by Melokho



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Age Difference, Anal Sex, Asphyxiation, Corporal Punishment, Extremely Underage, Forced Prostitution, Grooming, Incest, M/M, Oral Sex, Rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-05-30 19:47:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19410163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melokho/pseuds/Melokho
Summary: Ignis had always dreaded his father’s visits to Insomnia, but this one might have more lasting consequences than even he imagined.





	And Found Wanting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lagerstatte](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lagerstatte/gifts).



> Big thanks to sei for the emergency beta

The teacher took Ignis aside before the start of the lesson and told him that his uncle had called to explain things and to excuse him from attending classes for the rest of the week. If he had to leave early today, the teacher added, Ignis would be allowed to.

Unconsciously squeezing the extra bag he brought today closer to his chest, Ignis smiled. He thanked her, but assured her that it wouldn’t be necessary. Fighting the urge to look down, he hastened to his seat. If the teacher was surprised by his reaction or thought it strange, she didn’t show it. Ignis dropped the second bag out of sight underneath the desk, before pulling his pencils and books out of his backpack.

When he looked back up he saw that the boy at the table on the left, having turned towards him, was watching him with a surprised look, his mouth slightly ajar, as if he’d stopped halfway before saying something. 

“Yes?” he asked. Ignis wondered what had caught his attention. They weren’t friends, barely acquaintances; Ignis wasn’t even sure he remembered his name correctly.

He noticed himself scowling. _How long have I been scowling?_ Before or after he noticed the other boy?

For a moment it seemed like the boy, caught up in indecision, would just let it drop; but he visibly steeled himself, then said, “You look upset.”

“I’m not.” It was instinctual. The words were out before the meaning fully manifested inside his brain. 

_Why would I be upset?_ He wasn’t. He had just been thinking... how thoughtful of uncle Laeto. Ignis should make a note to thank him later. Even though it was entirely unnecessary and Ignis would have rather have avoided having it brought up with his teachers at all. But he had meant well. His uncle was looking out for him, as always. Like the way he’d had Ignis’ dress shirt and pants, the really nice ones, brought to the dry cleaners in preparation for today. Like the delicious, if way too heavy, breakfast from that morning, when he’d been told, and which he hadn’t had the appetite for but ate anyway. It had made him queasy, causing upsets and aches in his stomach, but the intention behind it had been good, and Ignis had appreciated it for that.

“I’m alright. Please don’t concern yourself.”

The boy didn’t look convinced but hopefully was also unwilling to argue about it. Anyway, the lesson was about to start. Ignis was relieved when it gave them both something else to focus on.

Despite being generally interested in learning and being what some might refer to as an overachiever, Ignis normally didn’t find himself wanting to extend his lessons past their allotted time. He’d never dreaded the ending of a long day at school. It must be something else that caused him to, yet again, look at the clock, as if willing the hands to move slower. The lesson wasn’t that good, either; he already knew most of the subject matter. But he didn’t have anything to look forward to after school finished. Normally he’d have Noct— 

At the ring of the bell, while everyone else jumped up excitedly, Ignis took his time. Finishing his notes and writing down any questions he would need to look up answers for at a later time. Books, pencils, notepads, everything was packed away carefully. He double-checked his backpack for anything that he might have missed, before retrieving the second bag from underneath the desk.

Ignis was the last one to leave the classroom, and instead of heading straight for the exit he made for the toilets. Choosing a stall at random, he locked the door and started on his shirt buttons. He stripped down to his underwear. Hesitated. Then removed those as well. Folded his school uniform diligently. Took a deep breath.

The extra bag he brought with him today contained his change of clothes: a crisp shirt in light grey, with expensive embroidery lining the collar, a waistcoat a couple shades darker, pinstripe trousers, a fresh set of socks and underwear, a cravat, and a small jewelry bag of heavy velvet. One by one, they replaced the items of his uniform. A pair of cufflinks finished the look.

Ignis left the stall to check himself in the mirror. Everything fit neatly. The green of the cravat accentuated his eyes. He looked good, he guessed. Not... older, exactly; more grown-up. The most well-tailored clothing couldn’t do anything about his general scrawniness or the mousy colour of his hair, but everything else was perfect.

Hopefully his dad would be impressed.

The thought almost made him sick. Same as on the morning when Uncle Laeto had broken the news to him.

“My brother will be visiting us,” he’d said, while drinking his morning coffee and reading the paper. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except that sentence and the carefully neutral tone in which it was said.

No mention of Ignis’ mum, and he’d known better than to ask. His mother had never come to Insomnia, not once. Ignis had a picture of her, which was likely the only reason he still remembered her face. He did not remember her voice.

Ignis had been pondering his schedule and apparently he hadn’t been alone, because the next thing his uncle had said was, “We will have to inform His Majesty... Don’t say a word! I know, you would rather not take time from your duties to the crown, but you also have duties towards this family. What about your tutors?”

It was then that Ignis had told him that he didn’t want to miss school, but if his uncle simply hadn’t heard or if he’d ignored it... Ignis chose not to think about that.

“It’s probably best to have your week as free as possible. You will have to work extra hard the week before so you don’t fall behind. Yes,” Uncle Laeto had said, deep in thought. “Just let me worry about it.”

And that had been the end of the conversation.

He stopped fiddling with his cufflinks and took one last look in the mirror. _It won’t get any better than this._ He sighed.

A few minutes later, Ignis finally left school. It was later than he should be comfortable with, but he still didn’t hurry up. His father must have arrived already. His uncle would have gone to meet him. They had agreed that Ignis didn’t need to be there. Instead, they’d drive directly to the restaurant and wait for Ignis there. He checked his phone to see if there had been any change in plans.

Nothing. No message from Noctis either. Or anything else demanding his attention at the Citadel.

He kept staring at his empty inbox for far longer than necessary.

“You don’t even like your father!” Noctis had said upon hearing the news that Ignis would be taking the week off. Ignis winced just remembering that particular discussion.

So what if he had expected Noctis to try something, seeing how displeased he’d been? He obviously hadn’t given his charge enough credit. 

This was good. No reason to get all gloomy about it. 

He couldn’t stand here moping about it all day; he had somewhere to be.

  
**+++**

The restaurant was in the business part of town, on the ground floor of an enormous skyscraper whose upper floors were rented as office space to some of Insomnia’s biggest corporations. It was high-class, but not aggressively so. Ignis garnered a few looks as he told the restaurant receptionist who he was meeting and waited while someone took his bags and coat away; though hopefully the looks were just for being a child wandering in here all by himself and not because he got dirt on himself on the way over here. Maybe they could somehow sense his insecurity; had somehow guessed at the exact reason for his presence here, somehow just knew what might or might not happen later this evening, and if not this evening then later this week, was it written all over his face that they could read him like an open book— 

“This way, please!”

 _That’s ridiculous_ , he chided himself as he snapped out of whatever in the Astral’s name that had been. All the same, the thought still sent shivers down his spine.

His father and uncle were already waiting for him and had started on the food without waiting for him. A quick look at the table and its array of plates, glasses, and utensils told him he’d probably missed both the soup and the appetizer.

His uncle noticed him first. “Ignis, you’re here. Good, good.”

Once he was close enough, Ignis bowed formally.

“We ordered for you. The next course will arrive shortly. Sit down! Sit down! It should be here any second now.”

“A moment,” Ignis hadn’t moved yet, having seen this coming. “Over here, if you please!”

Trying not to let his trepidation show Ignis stepped closer, right next to his father’s chair. He quelled the urged to lower his gaze. It wouldn’t do to avoid the inquiring eyes searching his face. He didn’t even blink until his father’s attention moved on from his face, inspecting his clothes, stature and who knows what else. Ignis was hit by a sudden fear. _I forgot to change. I forgot and I’m standing here in my school uniform. I thought about it a dozen times today but never actually did it._ It was irrational but that didn’t stop his heart pounding rapidly against his ribcage.

“Atrox, please, let the boy sit already!” Uncle Laeto said. It visibly surprised even Ignis’ father that he’d spoken up, but no one more so than his uncle himself. For a moment the focus was all on him — giving Ignis a short reprieve — until a waiter arrived, rescuing them both from further scrutiny. “Ah, look, they’re serving the fish.”

Ignis still waited for his father’s brief nod before bowing again and moving to his seat. Head hung low Ignis sat down in front of the third set of plates at the table. As soon as he was seated the waiter placed what had to be the main course in front of him, allural sea bass on a bed of fennel, carrots, and a touch of orange. It smelled delicious. 

Complementing the food was a white wine, served only to his uncle and father.

The waiter barely turned his back before his father retrieved the bottle from the wine cooler and poured Ignis half a glass. Ignis, dutifully, took a sip. Maybe it was his imagination, nothing more than wishful thinking, but for a second it almost seemed like his father was smiling.

They ate in perfect silence. No talking during a meal had always been the rule. For a while the only sounds came from the clattering of cutlery, the pleasant little clanks of glasses being picked up and set back down, soft murmurs wafting over from other tables. 

Ignis didn’t mind. It was mostly the same even when it was just his uncle and him. And with Noctis, well, he tried and endearingly often failed at basic dining etiquette. _I would rather be with him right now._

(Noctis hadn’t taken the news that Ignis would be absent for most of the week particularly well. In fact, he’d sulked until Ignis promised to make it up to him with a weekend spent fishing instead of studying.)

What did they look like to a casual observer, he wondered. Just a pleasant little family gathering, or could people pick up on the tense atmosphere? Three people focused on their food, not looking at each other, except for Ignis stealing quick glances at his father, whenever he thought no one was watching. His father showed no signs of displeasure; or any other emotion, for that matter. His mien was reserved, his body language detached. Carefully keeping his real thoughts in check. It was familiar but at the same time, it also wasn’t. 

Once they had all finished with their fish and were now waiting on dessert, Ignis’ uncle started what seemed like the continuation to a discussion they’d had before Ignis arrived. Local news, politics, and other relevant information his father might have missed staying with his wife in Tenebrae for the last couple of months. 

None of it was new to Ignis, and it didn’t seem like they intended to include him in the conversation. He followed it anyway; refusing to let his mind drift for even a moment, for it would surely be noticed.

That was why he noticed when the talk turned from general towards more specific topics relevant to the family.

“Tell me about Paro,” Ignis’ father demanded.

Paro, another noble house, not quite as ancient as Scientia but of a pure Lucian line; while not arrogant about it, they were certainly proud, aware of and pleased with the status and respect it earned them. For a while now, they’d been giving his uncle a hard time for opposing a bill they had lobbied for.

“Nothing from them since they accepted your offer. Securus has agreed to see us. We are scheduled to meet in,” Uncle Laeto checked his watch, “just under two hours.”

“Has he informed you of a location then?”

“And did I send someone in ahead of time?” he replied, as if constipated. Offence taken. “Of course I did.”

There was more to it than this. There always was. _I don’t want this._ The sideways glances his uncle kept shooting his way told him everything he needed to know. They also achieved something else in that, for the first time since he sat down at the table, Ignis had his father’s attention again.

“Your mother sends her regards.”

“Thank you, sir.” To his utter horror, his voice cracked, entering the higher register of the child his body had been trying to leave behind for the last couple of months.

“I was pleased to see your grades and performance reviews continue to improve.”

Pleased they didn’t take another nosedive the way they had during the months following the attack on Noct and his slow recovery. It had taken its toll on him as well. _I wasn’t myself back then._ Always worried while Noct’s wounds were fresh, always waiting for news from Tenebrae when they’d left him behind, never straying far from Noctis’ side after that. _Nonetheless, I should have tried harder._

“I- I do my best,” he said, voice still high and shrill.

“Tonight as well, one would hope.”

Ignis’ shoulders fell. Thankfully, before he could reply the dessert (and with it a renewed silence) arrived to distract them all from further commenting on the topic.

  
**+++**

The meeting place was a hotel on the Alexandria Placa. They were expected. A young man in a fine hotel livery, whose name was Nauda according to the engraved badge he wore, greeted them as soon as they set foot inside. After quickly confirming their identities he directed them towards the lounge.

Ignis didn’t know Securus Paro in person but the man was a public figure, and he could easily pick him out of the array of people presently sojourned here.

Ignis’ father told them to wait and approached him alone.

He shuddered. “Uncle...“

That word said so many things. _How can he do this? How can you let him? I’m scared. Help me. I need to hear it’s okay. I can’t breathe. I want to be anywhere but here. Help me, help me, help me—_ A hand was placed on his shoulder and Ignis stepped closer, seeking the solid presence. It was somewhat successful in stemming the shaking.

After a few tense minutes, without interrupting the talk with Ignis’ father, Paro casually looked their way. And even though it was so brief as to reasonably grant him plausible deniability, Ignis knew he had been measured. 

He only saw it because he was watching out for it, the small nod Paro gave his father. The hand on Ignis’ shoulder tightened. _This is happening._

While Ignis’ uncle joined them at the table, Paro called over the page who showed them here ( _Nauda_ , Ignis’ mind provided) and handed something to him. Ignis couldn’t see it but had a pretty good guess. One that was soon confirmed when Nauda left and slipped a key card into Ignis’ hand on the way out.

_Room 536._

No further explanation but that was enough. His fist clenched at his sides, the card digging into his palm.

He took the stairs instead of the elevator; he should have the time. Paro would be an absolute fool to follow him too soon. But by the gods did Ignis hope that he wouldn’t take too long either, leaving him idling in an empty hotel room with nothing but his thoughts to occupy him. _Unless he doesn’t show up at all. If he changes his mind…_ Thoughts like that.

In the end, no more than five minutes of anxious waiting passed, before the door opened and Paro entered the room. He gave Ignis another once-over.

“Are you going to make a fuss?” he asked; not unpleasant, but certainly not friendly either.

Ignis shook his head.

That might have been the wrong answer. Ignis did not like the frown slowly forming on Paro’s face. “Are you sure?”

 _What?_ Confused, Ignis clasped his left wrist with the other hand for something to hold onto. He was already off-balance, and Paro’s weird behaviour made it worse. _I don’t understand._

“Gods, boy, you must know how to act like a brat. Isn’t that what you all really are? Should come naturally to you.”

He was still unsure but hesitantly nodded this time around.

“Good. Get on the bed! You can keep the glasses on.”

Ignis complied. One thing he knew for sure: where this was leading. His mind went to his textbooks. _To copulate, verb. Meaning: To engage in sexual intercourse._ Even thinking about it in those terms made him ill at ease. 

For the second time today he stripped out of his clothes. The room was warm enough without them but Ignis shivered. Did goosebumps make him more or less attractive? Did Paro even care?

A quick glance told him, no, not currently, as he stood hunched over the minibar getting himself a drink.

Ignis climbed onto the bed. Another mistake, as it turned out. When Paro, glass in hand, turned towards Ignis his expression showed disappointment. He downed the content of the glass in one quick go. “You are a slow one.”

Ignis had held tears back until now, but they started forming at the corner of his eyes. They had built up over the last few minutes and he tried to be strong, tried to hold out for as long as he could. Worse than being here, expected to perform such a distasteful task— the last straw, the thing that broke him, was failing at it. Shameful. What was he doing wrong? None of the other men, much as he hated thinking about them, had ever given him such confusing directions or said anything bad about him. He couldn’t make sense of it.

“We are going to have to do this another way, aren’t we?”

“I’m sorry,” he tried.

“You will be.” 

The soft thud of glass hitting the plush, expensive carpet. Then Paro was on him, before it even fully registered to Ignis that the man had moved. One hand clasped over his mouth, the other pinched his nose, while Paro’s body weighed him down into the mattress.

Panic set in after the first surprised intake of breath. Or what should have been one, except no air made it past the hands and into his lungs. Ignis starred up at Paro, eyes blown wide in shock and disbelief. The man tilted his head to the side, looking mildly curious.

He tried to breathe again. Pain constricting his chest. His heart was trying to make up for the lack of oxygen by pumping faster, to no avail. _I’m going to die_ , he thought. And he started to struggle.

Ignis thrashed and fought, putting his whole body behind it. He bucked, twisted, tried to pry the hands away from his face; it proved useless. He might move a finger one at a time but not an entire hand. Paro was simply too strong.

Ignis’ lungs burned. He wasted precious air on a muffled scream. Now wildly flailing around with his hand, trying to hit something, anything, that would make it stop. His feet kicked upwards but were quickly trapped by Paro pinning them down with his own. The man didn’t attempt to stop the punches. He seemed more amused then hurt by them.

“Like that. See, it’s not that hard.”

That was important for sure, but Ignis had no capacities left to think about the statement. Only survival, it was the only thing he could focus on. 

The pressure in his chest reached unbearable, and then got worse. How could it still get worse? His struggles grew weaker as he edged towards unconsciousness. At least it would be over soon. Exhaustion saw him sink back into the mattress, arms falling at his sides.

Paro’s weight on his chest lifted as he leaned back, admire the sight sprawled out underneath him. “Gorgeous.” His thumb stroked Ignis’ cheek, wiping tears away.

Ignis closed his eyes and waited for the end.

It took a second for his mind to catch up when the hands disappeared. Thankfully his body knew what to do, mouth wide open, greedily gulping air. Too fast, almost to the point of hyperventilation, when his brain caught up and forced him to take slower, deeper breaths, the panic of impending death dissolving as his heart rate steadied, went down, then normalized. What remained was a lingering fear and a vague sense of some unidentified discomfort.

Meanwhile, Paro had gotten up, rummaging around the room. Sounds of clothes being taken off made Ignis turn his head to the right. Paro, standing next to the bed, was leisurely stroking his already hard member, shoving it closer to Ignis’ face when he noticed him looking. 

Gathering what remained of his courage Ignis made a desperate appeal. “I want to go.”

“You can very soon. But first...”

His hand closed around Ignis’ right arm and pulled. _Trying to get me on my stomach._ New tears welled up. Ignis tried to resist but, of course, Paro was stronger. Without much effort he turned Ignis around and kept his arm locked behind his back- at an angle that was just on the cusp of being painful.

 _Gods, not this._ He desperately clutched at a pillow and buried his face, shouting his fear, and pain, and frustration into the fluffy down feathers.

It wasn’t his first time, nor second, or even third, but he couldn’t remember being more scared back then than he was now.

Paro cared little for his crisis, pushing him this way and that, rearranging limbs however he saw fit. Most of it barely registered with Ignis. He felt when his arm was released, his hips raised and another pillow shoved underneath. He felt a slick finger circling his hole.

“Please don— “ One last, weak attempt, interrupted by a wet little cry when the finger pushed inside.

It didn’t even hurt that much. _Not yet._ But it accutely reminded him of why he’d never begged again after the first time. The betrayal of begging and being ignored was a far worse pain.

Ignis’ hips jerked up. Paro didn’t leave him time to get accustomed to a single digit first before squeezing the next one in right alongside it. 

Where one was mostly slightly weird, two fingers felt uncomfortable. Too full. Tugging at his rim. He didn’t do it on purpose but his channel clamped down on the invading fingers, tried to expel this unwanted intrusion; and that only made it worse.

Paro continued like he hadn’t even noticed, wiggling his fingers, pulling away for more lotion, then plunging right back in, spreading it around Ignis’ hole.

The third finger crossed the line between discomfort and hurt. Three was too much. Stretching too wide, hitting too deep, too careless. Prodding, poking... Ignis’ legs kicked out and accidentally hit something.

It drew a sharp breath from Paro who grabbed a bunch of his hair and pulled his head up. “Keep squirming, I don’t mind. It’s cute. But if you hurt me, I hurt you. Do we understand each other?”

He didn’t wait for the answer and forced Ignis’ head back down into the pillow. Feeling like he’d done enough, or growing impatient maybe, Paro slid his fingers in one last time, spread them as wide as the walls of Ignis’ channel would let him, before finally removing them and wiping them off on Ignis’ thigh. 

Ignis made a distraught sound. It was a brief relief from the pain, but as much as he hadn’t liked being fingered open, what they’d prepared him for would be worse. He expected the fingers to immediately be replaced by a cock. He had no hope left.

But Paro took his time. Lovingly massaging the globes of Ignis’ arse with both hands, reaching between his legs for his small testes and playing with them, pressing a kiss between trembling shoulder blades. One thumb dipped back into Ignis’ hole, causing another distressed noise and an answering moan from Paro.

“Scared?” he asked, like he really wanted the answer to that question to be yes.

Ignis nodded, not trusting his voice.

“I won’t lie to you.” He slipped between Ignis’ thighs, hands holding onto his hips. “I’m not going to be gentle.”

And he wasn’t. The force with which he entered Ignis was strong enough to rock him forwards despite the hands holding him back, only narrowly preventing him from colliding with the headboard. A scream filled the room, high and shrill to his ears. _I hope the walls are thick,_ he thought hysterically.

Rough as he was, Paro still needed a few more thrusts before he was fully seated inside. Ignis’ body fought him all the way. Logically, he knew he was just making it worse for himself by not relaxing, but he was running on pure instinct.

Once fully inside Paro stilled for a few seconds and stroked his hair. “If it’s any consolation to you, as riled up as you have me already, it probably won’t take long.”

_Words of solace._

He didn’t say it out loud. Wouldn’t have, even if the abruptness of Paro resuming his thrusts hadn’t knocked the wind out of him. He struggled to keep breathing through the cries and whimpers being forced from his throat with each back and forth. Paro pulled out and rocked back in with terrifying grunts.

Ignis knew that it would get better, if he could just relax, could just take it, but the pain was overwhelming. Trying to focus on anything else was impossible.

Fingernails scratched his hips whenever he involuntarily clamped down on the cock in his arse.

“Fuck!” Paro groaned, following even more rapid thrusts into the tightened channel, and Ignis was amazed at his capacity to still be scandalized by the profanity. Given what was happening. Given that this man was buried balls-deep in his guts. 

What messed-up morality he had. Did he have any ground to stand on? When he was allowing himself to be used like this to further his family’s goals. When he came here pretending that it was normal. Yet one bad word bothered him? _Fuck. Repeat it with me, Ignis. Fuck. It’s what we are... what we are doing. Fucking. He is fucking me._

Paro plowed into him with continuous vigor without much change except for the moans, growing ever louder. 

“Let me see your face!” A hand tugging at his chin turned Ignis’ head around.

A pitiful picture he must make: tearstreaked cheeks, probably red-faced, snot running down from his nose, his hair a mess, and glasses askew— hiccuping every couple of breaths in between the noises of pain.

Ignis tried to hide his face again but the hand kept a firm grip on him. Paro stuck two fingers between his lips, not enough to gag him but pressing down on his tongue, rubbing them along as if feeling the texture. It took a moment to find the right rhythm, then his fingers were pistoning in and out of Ignis’ mouth, the movement mirroring the one of his hips.

“I think I’ll have you finish me like this. Would you like that, me coming down your throat? Making you swallow all of it?” Paro asked sounding as breathless as Ignis felt.

His hips sped up, nearing his climax. He slapped Ignis across the face, not very hard but enough to leave a mild sting, and placed his other hand on his neck, applying some pressure in what had to be a clear threat. “Do you need a reminder, slut? Answer the question!”

Ignis violently shook his head and made a pathetic whine that could have been a no. No to this, no to being choked again, no to anything happening in this room, or any of the other rooms he tried not to remember but saw in nightmares whenever he went to sleep. The pain, humiliation, all of it. He had enough. He couldn’t take anymore.

Paro caught the hand aiming for his face. He pulled out of Ignis and turned him onto his back. Ignis tried to free his hand and twist out from underneath the man. 

Sitting down on Ignis’ chest, effectively pinning him, and seizing his other hand as well, Paro chuckled. “See what you can do with just a little encouragement?” 

He let Ignis struggle until he had exhausted himself. The brief period of waiting had done nothing to cool his lust; in fact, the opposite seemed to be the case. His cock was weeping, splashes of clear liquid pooling on Ignis’ chest. He climbed over Ignis until it hovered over Ignis’ face, and laughed as a drop of precome dripped down the tip and onto Ignis’ cheek. Once, twice, he spread it around, rubbed it in by pressing his dick between jaw and cheekbone- hard enough that it would probably bruise. Then he shoved himself between Ignis’ lips, moaning obscenely. The taste of precome and lube made Ignis gag.

It started with shallow thrusts, while Paro worked the rest of his length with his hand, but soon became deeper, filling Ignis’ mouth entirely. There was no escape from it, no chance to pull away or recoil, with the heavy weight on his chest and his head tipped back into the mattress. Trickles of precome and saliva ran down from the corners of his mouth.

Paro’s rhythm grew unsteady. He jerked forwards, drove his cock even further into Ignis. It hit the back of his throat, went beyond and stayed there. And suddenly Ignis couldn’t breathe anymore.

_Not again!_

Panicked he clenched his jaw, he bit down hard, teeth digging into flesh— and Paro howled.

Ignis saw the fist coming but failed to pull up his hands in time to shield himself. The blow made his head ring. He barely noticed being pushed off the bed or the kick to the face or Paro angrily reaching for the telephone.

But Ignis knew he was in trouble. Big trouble.

  
**+++**

In the far corner of the room Ignis did his best to try and make himself invisible. He was still shaking, his lip bloody. He wore his shirt but nothing else, pulling at it to hide his private parts, keep at least this shred of modesty intact.

Anger clogged the room and he was weak to it, his nerves frayed from the stress and anxiety. He tried not to be, tried to endure it. His eyes were dry but there were still fresh tear marks on his cheeks. _I have to be tougher. Imagine it’s for Noct. I could endure it for Noct. I should be able to do it for my family as well._ But, for some reason, he wasn’t.

Ignis’ father was hovering near the door, barely having taken a step into the room. “I understand you are dissatisfied and angry but can’t we—”

“Let me stop you right there!” Paro interrupted him. “Dissatisfied and angry? That covers but a fraction of what I am right now. See, I’m furious.” 

He held up his hand, when it looked like Ignis’ father was about to interrupt him in turn. “Our families’ dealings have not always been the most, shall we say, amicable. Tell me, if this happened to you, would you not feel disrespected? Or suspect malicious intent? You approach me with words of reconciliation. You offer me your whore, if I agree to talk. And he turns out to not only be incompetent but actively dangerous.”

His ears were burning in shame. More with every word shouted about him. Though thankfully not at him; that would come later, for sure. He made a mess of this. Such a big mess. If only he could sink into the floor and disappear.

“Giving you the benefit of the doubt, where did you even find that one? Just grabbed the first pretty face you saw on the streets? Am I to assume you lied when you told me he had done this before?”

It was surreal seeing his father grow visibly smaller which each word from Paro, so unlike his usual pompous self. Openly apologetic — the real kind, not the fake, patronizing apologies he was used to. Ignis almost couldn’t believe his ears. 

“He has never made that kind of fuss before. I am so sorry. I understand how upsetting this must be for you. My sincerest—”

“What is he doing?” Paro’s attention had turned towards Uncle Laeto, who was the only one focused on Ignis in all this mess and had crossed the room to kneel in front of him and look him over.

Uncle Laeto moved his face left and right. He caressed a finger along Ignis’ jaw, over the forming shape of a bruise. Ignis almost recoiled from the touch but managed to reduce it to a small flinch.

“Was this necessary?” his uncle asked, producing a tissue from his pockets and wiping the blood from Ignis’ lip.

“He bit me!” The tone in Paro’s voice was so sharp, so full of judgement and the desire for further violence, it hit with just as much force as the physical blow had. “He can count himself lucky I didn’t do worse.”

Ignis had held the words back, not wanting to draw their ire onto himself, but now that he had it anyway, he had to defend himself. “I didn’t mean to. It was an accident.”

His father swung around with fury and Ignis expected a strike from him, too. “I won’t hear excuses from you!”

“Father—”

A mistake. Heads turned fast, after he let that slip.

“Ignis!”

“That’s your kid?” The anger on Paro’s face morphed into confusion, went through a couple of emotions in rapid succession and finally settled on something like disgust mixed with suspicion. “Fuck.”

Ignis braced for the inevitable.

“He is not my son!” Ignis’ father screamed, red in the face.

There it was. The truth they skirted around whenever possible. The reason Uncle Laeto called Atrox nothing but brother and never Ignis’ father in conversation with him. Why his mother never came to visit him. The source of whispers and talking behind backs that lead to Ignis being shipped off to Insomnia.

Ignis was born early, just eight months after his father had returned from year-long trip abroad. The rumors of a lover had already circulated before that and started to take on a new turn immediately. And Atrox Scientia believed them. While officially he kept appearances around the wife he thought cheated on him and never openly rejected her son, Ignis knew his father had never accepted him as his own.

“I don’t want anything to do with this,” said Paro, who looked exceedingly more uncomfortable with every passing second. “Listen, we can settle this amicably. Just send your proposal to my office and... We will accept. No need for any of this to get nasty.”

Paro couldn’t leave the room fast enough after that, running away with his tail between his legs.

 _He thinks it was a set-up. That they laid a trap for him and mean to blackmail him._ Ignis didn’t have it in him to feel sorry for the guy. He rubbed his aching chin.

“That... did not turn out nearly as bad as I thought,” Uncle Laeto said. 

_Trying to lighten the mood._

“Are you out of your mind?” Ignis’ father took it differently, and seemed to disagree. “One word from him to the wrong people... as if I need any additional headache.”

“Calm down, Atrox! That’s a big if. And if I was him, I wouldn’t want it to get out what kind of troubles my dick got me into.”

“It’s more than that and you know it! Assuming he leaves out the part where he found out who it was he fucked, he might still spread the word about the subpar quality of the boy he had been offered. Don’t expect any of your future problems to be solved quite this easily.” His father sighed deeply. “It might be time to get rid of him for good.”

Ignis gasped audibly, unable to contain his shock. He regretted his lack of control immediately, when it drew his father’s attention towards him again.

“I put a lot of trust in you here, and this is how you repay me? What has gotten into you, boy, embarrassing me like this? And apparently behaving like a blushing virgin on top of it. I should put you over my knee and give you more than just a bloody lip for this. You’re a disgrace.”

“Brother, please!” Uncle Laeto tried to intervene on Ignis’ behalf. “I’m sure it wasn’t done on purpose. Ignis is a good boy.”

“You’re too soft on him. No wonder he’s acting out. You coddle him.” He shook his head, as if such behaviour was beyond his comprehension. “Be that as it may, I will have no more complaints about him. See to it that he gets some training! I should have made sure of his adequacy from the beginning but I thought: how hard could it be, just lie back and let them do what they want; any idiot could manage that.”

Ignis hung his head. Worse than an idiot. He shouldn’t take it so personally but...

“Training?” Ignis’ uncle sounded skeptical and deeply uncomfortable with the suggestion.

“Whatever is necessary so there won’t be a repeat performance of today. Find someone who will do it.” He looked back and forth between Ignis and his uncle, calculating. “Or hells, do it yourself, if you want to. Since you have such a fondness for the boy.”

Ignis didn’t like the way he pronounced fondness, liked it not one bit. _Tell him no!_ But he thought that it might have convinced uncle Laeto, given his lack of a response. 

_Tell him he’s wrong! That you don’t think of me that way._

Uncle Laeto wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Take a shower, Ignis! We leave once you are done.”

His father scoffed, but said nothing until the bathroom door clicked shut after Ignis. 

“I had hoped to be wrong about that. It’s disgusting.”

“Maybe. But what does it say about you?” The retort had a touch of defensiveness to it. “You’re the one who keeps selling him.”

Ignis wondered if they knew he could still hear them, leaning with his head tilted back against the wood, hands tipping his glasses up towards his brows. His knuckles, like dams, pressed into his eyes to hold back the flood.

“Not for much longer. If all goes well. I need to know you won’t fight me on this, Laeto.”

“You have my word. But until then...”

“Don’t forget, the purpose is to teach him!”

Ignis swallowed his despair. He’d heard enough. Grappling with his shirt buttons he headed for the shower cubicle. The sound of water streaming down couldn’t drown out the voices fast enough. 

“But yes, until then he is yours.”

  
**+++**

Ignis didn’t know what he expected but he barely kept his nerves in check when they got home that evening. The door clicked shut after his uncle. Neither of them said anything while they switched into house slippers and hung their coats.

“Are a hungry. Do you want a snack?”

His stomach tied itself in tighter knots at the thought. “No, thank you, uncle.”

Uncle Laeto nodded, “You need anything— “ he said, looked deep in thought for a moment, then went into his room.

Ignis was at a loss, unsure what he was supposed to do now. Should he follow? Go to his own room, pretend nothing happened? With no clear path to follow Ignis fell apart, feeling like a confused boy instead of the competent young man one would expect the Royal Advisor to be.

What he ended up doing was taking another shower. He was thorough. Lather, rinse, repeat. Every limb was soaked, soaped and cleaned. In the safety of his own four walls he could take his time. Scrub every inch of his body (everywhere he’d touched). Brush his teeth (twice). Wash his hair. The familiar scent of his shampoo was oddly comforting.

He stood under the ever constant stream until long after the hot water ran out.

Yet it did nothing to quench the thoughts agonizing him. What did his uncle want? What was he waiting for? Had he misunderstood? Had his uncle agreed with his father to placate, but never intended to go through with it?

When he couldn’t take it anymore, he knocked on Uncle Laeto’s door.

“Come in!”

His uncle sat at the desk, though if he had been working on anything in particular, Ignis couldn’t say. There were no papers or anything in front of him. When Ignis entered, Uncle Laeto stood up and stepped up to him.

“I’m glad you chose to come. I know it’s a tough decision but it is the right one. You know Atrox.“

_He assumes a lot and I can’t follow._

Ignis didn’t get a word in before Laeto continued, “I just have to make sure... you want to do this, Ignis, right? I mean, you came to me, but you can change your mind. Despite what I told my brother, I won’t do this if you don’t want me to. Just, I think you know, that it won’t stop him, right? He will still expect you to— “He let the words trail off; he didn’t have to say it.

Somehow, this wasn’t quite right. Ignis knew that instinctually, but didn’t know how to say it, what the words were for how it made him feel; just that it was wrong. 

_“You are a disgrace.”_ His father’s words echoed in his mind.

His uncle looked at him, having said his piece and now waiting for Ignis to react. To make a choice? Did he really have one?

Ignis took a step further into the room and uncle Laeto smiled, showing relief. He sat down on the edge of the bed, holding out a hand, gesturing for Ignis to come over. Ignis ended up awkwardly standing between his legs, unsure where to look.

Uncle Laeto grabbed a pillow and put it on the floor. Ignis took the cue and knelt. 

“Doing great already,” he said, while he one-handedly fumbled with the buttons on his pants and pulled Ignis’ glasses off with the other.

His penis was half-hard already when he freed it from his underwear. Growing up with him Ignis had of course caught glimpses of it before (living together that sort of thing just happened), but he’d never seen it erect. Why it made a difference... Was it that easy for his uncle to grow aroused? Was that normal? Ignis hadn’t experienced much of it himself yet, apart from waking up with an early-morning hard-on a couple of times.

Uncle Laeto held him back when Ignis readied himself to take him in. “No need to rush. Touch it, Ignis.”

Ignis pushed down the mild panic of being asked to do something he had never done before. They had barely started; he couldn’t be overwhelmed by it already. He just couldn’t. But today had been a long and stressful event, and here he was adding more to his plate, when what he really wanted to do was crawl into his bed and hide under the covers.

His fingers shook, but he trailed along uncle Laeto’s shaft with butterfly-like touches, up to the crown and back down along the prominent vein on the underside. It perked up at his touch and Ignis flinched back.

“Sorry.”

“Again. Focus on the head. And use your other hand down here.” He placed Ignis’ finger on his ballsack. It was soft and fleshy but quickly grew harder, just like the cock itself, as Uncle Laeto became more excited. Precome gathered at his tip, and Ignis had his thumb wipe it off and smear it around the head, using it to smooth the way.

“Firmer now. Wrap your whole hand around it.”

When Ignis took a second too long to do as he was told, his uncle grabbed a hold of his hand and placed it where he wanted it. Guiding with his own, he had Ignis move it up and down, the rhythm fast, faster than Ignis, if left on his own, would have started out with. _That’s why you need to learn_ , a voice in his head insisted.

The hand guiding his slackened, then fell away completely, while Ignis continued on his own. He looked up at his uncle’s face, looking for any indication that he was doing it right, that it felt good, and found him gazing back at him; eyes, filled with pleasure and longing, locked intendly on his mouth.

Unconsciously Ignis sucked in his lower lip, wetting it with his tongue.

His uncle chuckled. “Yes. You can tell, what I want, don’t you?”

“Take my mouth?”

It wasn’t unfamiliar to him. He could endure it easily but Paro was still on his mind, the vivid image of him hovering over Ignis, forcing his mouth open. This was different. He wasn’t pinned to the bed and he trusted his uncle to not be that rough with him. It would be fine. It had to. _I can’t disappoint him again so soon._

Strong hands enveloped his own. “I want you to pleasure me with your mouth but at your own pace, alright? Just try. We won’t force it. Do you think you can do that?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered truthfully, a crease forming on his forehead.

“You are a quick study. I have complete confidence in you. Go ahead! Try licking it. Just the tip first. Get a feeling for it.”

The reassurance reduced some of Ignis’ fears. Hesitantly stretching out his tongue he lowered his head down to his uncle’s crotch. Doing his best to ignore his instinctual reaction to the taste of salt and precome. Ignis licked around the crown of the member in front of him, dipping lower along the shaft every now and then, when he got daring.

His uncle stroked his neck and shoulders, ran his fingers through his hair but, true to his word, never forced Ignis into anything. He kept up with a string of useful suggestions that Ignis willingly executed. Carefully nipping at the tip, wrapping his lips around it, hollowing his cheeks, gently sucking.

Ignis knew his uncle was close when the instructions stopped, replaced by harsh breathing and deep groans coming from the back of his throat. His head was thrown back. His hands on Ignis’ body tightened their grip.

Not long after he could feel his uncle’s climax bombard his senses, bitter liquid gushing into his mouth.

Unable to stifle his movements any longer uncle Laeto pumped his pulsing cock further in. “Can you... can you swallow it... Ignis, my boy? Please try.” He seemed to struggle forming basic sentences.

Ignis tried to hide his revulsion. Some of it had already spilled from his mouth but he swallowed the rest of it and even managed to hold his gag reflex and keep it down, only coughing a little bit. 

Finally done with his task Ignis rose from the floor, his knees protesting despite the pillow. _How long has it been?_ Was it alright to leave now?

Before he could make up his mind his uncle reclined back on the bed and dragged Ignis down with him. Pressed against his chest Ignis could feel him still going through the aftershocks. He should have stayed in place with his mouth wrapped around him until those ceased and his cock had gone fully limp.

Uncle Laeto pressed a kiss on his forehead. “I fail to see what Paro found so objectionable. You did so well.”

Instead of the warm glow he associated with getting praise Ignis just felt an emptiness spreading out from the centre of his chest. He didn’t want to be praised. Didn’t deserve it. Not for this. Not for ruining himself further by not only allowing this to happen but actively participating. He was dirty, unworthy of the comfort that kind words and a loving embrace should give him. The arms wrapped around him couldn’t keep out the cold reaching for him with crawling, icy fingers.

“As nice as this is,” his uncle said eventually, “you should get me hard again. We must try to identify the issue.”

Emptiness.

It didn’t take much more encouragement than that. With only a hand gently pressing down on his head, Ignis slid down to the foot of the bed. Using what he now knew about his uncle’s preferences he set himself to work. The same tricks proved to be far less effective this time though, taking a long time to get him excited again.

 _It’s just age._ He tried not to see it as a failure on his part.

“Now, this is important. Purse your lips and make sure to keep your teeth away. Then slowly move down. Don’t take in too much at once.”

This was getting closer to familiar territory, the feeling of a hard cock moving into his mouth and gliding across his tongue.

“You want to keep breathing through your nose.”

Uncle Laeto also told him to keep up the licking and sucking. And Ignis did his best despite the girth of the member stretching his mouth almost impossibly wide. It strained the split in his lip from earlier; after a while he could taste blood. He pushed through it. Ignored it, when his jaw grew tired. _It’s nothing. Just pain._

“You are doing so well,” his uncle praised him, scratching behind his ears. “But you still haven’t taken everything. Do you think you can do that?”

 _No!_ Ignis felt the blood leaving his face in instinctual horror. The rhythm of his ministrations faltered. 

Uncle Laeto taped his chin to make him stop entirely, and pulled him up. Under his scrutinizing gaze Ignis paled even further. “Is that what happened with Paro?”

“H-he choked me. It was in so deeply, it hurt and I... I couldn't breathe,” he admitted, lowering his eyes in shame.

“It can be difficult. You’ll have to learn eventually but maybe not tonight. I know it’s been a taxing day for you already.” His uncle sighed. “Alright, we won’t try it this time.”

“Can I go then?” Ignis asked hopefully.

“Oh, Ignis, don’t joke like that. You wouldn’t leave me like this, would you?”

Throughout the conversation his uncle’s erection hadn’t flagged. 

Uncle Laeto turned him around as easily as one would a rag doll, pulled down the soft pajama pants Ignis put on after his shower. Looking over his shoulder Ignis saw him leering at his arse. He spread his cheeks, inspecting his hole. Ignis whimpered and twisted out of the way when a finger came prodding at his entrance.

“Sore, hm?”

The finger retreated, as did the hand spreading him open. _Let that be it!_ But his uncle wasn’t quite done yet, only disinclined to cause him more harm in the pursuit of his release.

He settled for taking his pleasure rutting against Ignis’ arse and spending his release across his back.

Before returning to his own room and climbing into bed Ignis showered for the third time that evening. Even as he watched the semen run down the drain, he felt no cleaner. Humiliation wasn’t something water could so easily wash away.

  
**+++**

Ignis woke up bright and early the next morning and was already on his feet, determined to get ready for school, when a sharp twinge in his nether regions made him gasp surprised; and he remembered. He remembered yesterday and felt the strong urge to return to sleep and denial for a while longer.

What would that accomplish, though? Aside from being utterly childish.

And so he sat down at his desk, ignoring the protest from his aching body, and studied. Best to get a head start on all the catching-up he would have to do next week. He worked for about an hour, until he could hear his uncle rummaging around in the kitchen. He finished with the chapter he was currently on, then joined him.

They greeted each other like they always did, like yesterday didn’t happen. His uncle smiled and pointed out a steaming cup of tea waiting for Ignis. He wasn’t asked how he was feeling but there was a small, white pill lying next to the tea saucer.

“No coffee today?” Ignis asked jokingly. He knew he shouldn’t really be drinking any quite yet, but his uncle usually let him have some.

“You can get one later. We are meeting my brother and some friends for brunch.”

Ignis said nothing in return but kept looking at his uncle, trying to get an answer without asking the question. Uncle Laeto did something that was between a shrug and a headshake. Then they both went back to pretending.

Ignis helped prepare a light breakfast, mainly some sliced fruit, that they ate in silence. A perfectly normal morning. Uncle Laeto read the paper. Ignis checked his phone for messages from Noctis. There was a ‘ _hope you are having fun... without me_ ’ but nothing that would require him to visit the Citadel and give him a reason to skip out on brunch.

Afterwards Ignis did the dishes until his uncle called him into his study. He took longer than necessary to dry his hand on a towel. What could he want... was a question he never thought he would have to ask himself with trepidation. Surely it would be the bedroom, if he intended to... if he wanted... 

Uncle Laeto sat in the chair in front of the computer when Ignis entered, but got up and gestured for Ignis to take his place. “I had this idea to help you get more comfortable with your body and sex in general. An additional way you can gain all the experience you still need to measure up to my brother’s wishes for you.”

“Look here,” he showed Ignis the site he had been perusing. 

The computer screen showed a tacky website with garish pictures of barely clothed individuals and gross overuse of the colours black and red. At first glance Ignis thought he was looking at a porn site. A second look identified it as a kind of online shop for sex toys and other related paraphernalia.

Before Ignis could process the implications, his uncle placed a credit card down in front of him.

“I’ll be in the living room, dealing with some paperwork. You take your time. We won’t leave for another two hours or so. Get whatever you need,” he said and left Ignis to it.

A full five minutes passed just staring blankly at the open browser tab. The first time he cautiously tried to navigate away from the main page by clicking in a random image the site asked him to confirm that he was 18 or older. He kept the hysterical laughter down. Barely.

The confirmation lead him to an offer for something called a cockring. The name probably said it all, though that only told Ignis what the thing was, and not what it was for. Or why you would want it to have built-in vibration.

He clicked the back button for now and searched for the main store front. Another confirmation of (and lie about) his age later — he noticed the ‘remember me’ option this time and selected it — and he still didn’t really know where to start. The choices were manifold, dozens upon dozens of pages with merchandise. He scrolled to the bottom of the first one, seeing things he expected like dildos, some overly realistic, some downright weird; things he knew only outside of a sexual context like pinwheels; and things he had no idea what to make of based on the name alone, like an electro powerbox stimulation set.

He found some options to filter through it all, and that turned out to be even more useful than he’d thought when he stumbled upon a way to filter for toys marked as ‘for beginners’. Helpfully, a link underneath it informed him of some beginner’s guides freely available on the site.

He spent the next two hours picking through the shop’s offerings and reading up on the things he didn’t understand. Some was unexpectedly amusing, some he still didn’t get even after looking them up. There was also some really scary stuff he didn’t want to know about, hiding behind seemingly innocuous names that made him deeply uncomfortable. _There are people who enjoy this._ He tried not to judge but had to close multiple tabs just on sight. He didn’t look up what fisting was, afraid the truth would be even worse than his imagination. 

Ignis considered calling his uncle back into the room before heading to the virtual check-out and clicking his way into owning a bunch of sex toys. Ultimately he didn’t. _Get what you need, he said._ Ignis believed he had done just that. And if for him to accomplish that he’d had to ignore the feeling of wanting to crawl out of his own skin, well… _What you need isn’t always the same as what makes you feel good. Like medicine._

The thought did not comfort him.

  
**+++**

The brunch was a typical get-together, sizing each other up and talking in a way that made everything mundane political and everything political mundane. Ignis usually enjoyed them at least to some degree. They did an adequate job at preparing him for the life he expected to have at Noctis’ side. 

The guest list consisted of quite a few people Ignis wouldn’t be surprised to see at royal functions as well. He knew most of them already. This, combined with the lack of interest anyone showed in his presence, put him more at ease.

He made small talk here and there, got himself that coffee Uncle Laeto had promised, and had an otherwise uneventful few hours.

He’d still have rather been at school and secure in the knowledge that he would get to see Noctis later, but this wasn’t so bad.

Nearing the end, one of the guests, a member of the Lucian council, approached Ignis’ father and invited them all to his private house party afterwards. He graciously accepted. Ignis concluded that trying to get this invitation was probably why his father had arranged for the brunch in the first place.

Not that the party differed much from the brunch in any significant way. The food was fancier, it ended with a small fireworks display, and someone tried, unsuccessfully, to get all kinds of gossip about the crown prince out of Ignis; but other than that, it was the same.

New connections were made, old ones tended to, and no one dragged Ignis off to a deserted corner or empty room with his father’s silent approval.

It was late when they got home. The concierge stopped him and his uncle and informed them that a package had arrived for them. He instantly knew what it was. _Same-day delivery._ It didn’t look much like anything, but then, Ignis didn’t know what he had expected a package full of sex toys to look like.

Uncle Laeto insisted he unpack it immediately the moment the door closed behind them. He praised Ignis for his choices, then unwrapped the box of supplies used for anal training and told him to drop his trousers.

That night he send Ignis to bed with a plug in his butt and a penis gag in his mouth, the latter neatly secured by a leather strap around his head.

  
**+++**

Visiting the Solheim exhibition currently showing in Insomnia’s cultural museum was but another pretext to catching up with old acquaintances. 

Until it wasn’t anymore.

Because the person talking Lucian-Tenebraean relations with his father was one Ignis had less than pleasant memories of. He kept watching him out of the corner of his eye even when he was supposedly admiring the bold architecture of some Solheimian temple or praising the subtle nuances of their goldsmithing works.

The exhibition was one Ignis would normally have great interest in, but now all he could do was worry and try not to fidget. In the fine charcoal suit he wore, he was starting to sweat, his mouth dry, stomach roiling. His father noticed his discomfort and seemed most unimpressed by it.

Shame joined the plethora of emotions whirling around in Ignis’ brain. _If it comes to that, I can... I can..._

From inside a pocket his phone played the sound of an incoming message. Ignis winced. Everyone around them looked disapprovingly at him for disrupting the quiet atmosphere of the show, but they didn’t understand. They thought, like a careless kid, he’d forgotten to put it on silent. Only two numbers would ignore his settings and have his phone ring even while muted, the king’s and Noctis’.

Ignis scrambled in his haste to unlock the screen and check.

The message came from His Majesty: _Apologies for interrupting your time away with your family, but I was hoping you would come and look after mine. Noctis is unwell._

Unwell? Unwell how? Was it his back again? Ignis wasn’t one to curse royalty but it was cruel of King Regis to leave him with just this short message. No explanation, no details. Just unwell.

“I need to go!” Ignis burst out, addressing his uncle although his father stood close enough to hear them as well.

Uncle Laeto took one glance at his face and knew. “To work?”

“Yes.” 

“He can’t go.”

Two pair of eyes lock onto Atrox Scientia who crossed his arms, looking sterner than ever. Ignis’ stomach dropped. “But I need to—”

“I’ll drive him,” his uncle interrupted, allowing for no argument. Ignis was stunned. That was a rare tone for him to strike against his own brother. It shocked his father as well.

“Oh, do what you must, then! Two hours. Bring him back by then.” Ignis’ father said curtly and instantly turned around to continue his previous conversation, as if it wasn’t bothering him greatly. 

There might be discussions about this later, but not here, not out in public.

Ignis and his uncle headed for the exit. Uncle Laeto tried to make small talk but Ignis was too anxious to pay much attention. Traffic around the Citadel was slow as always; their drive took almost 30 minutes.

“You have an hour, you heard what he said,” his uncle called after him, when Ignis jumped out of the door, the moment the car was parked.

No one dared to stop him when he entered the Citadel and made straight for Noctis’ rooms, head held high, face full of determination, the picture of a man on a mission. The few souls who greeted him he greeted back; otherwise he wasted no time or breath, saving it for the long hallways and endless corridors he had to follow along to his goal.

Noctis was lying on a couch, back propped up by a mountain of pillows. He was watching a movie but had turned off the sound at the knock on his door. 

The moment Ignis entered his head went up, eyes going wide, a smile spreading across his face. “Iggy!”

Ignis performed a bow and returned the greeting. “Your Highness.”

They looked at each other for a second — two, three — then Ignis’ face broke into a smile as well. Formality served, he rushed to his prince’s side.

“How are you?” he asked, inspecting him critically.

Noctis hesitated, but only for a moment. “Not great. When I tried to get up this morning, I couldn’t walk.”

He glanced at something out of the corner of his eye and yes, there, Ignis saw it now, his old wheelchair was standing near the window. Cause for concern.

“It’s that bad? You haven’t had to use it in months.”

“It’s probably fine now,” Noct was quick to reassure him, but failed to keep the brave face up when Ignis raised an eyebrow at him. “Okay, so maybe not. But it was definitely worse this morning.”

“Have they give you your medicine?”

Noctis nodded, but then also shook his head. “I haven’t taken it.”

“Highness...“

“I know, I know. Please don’t be disappointed with me? It just makes me so sleepy.” As if that was explanation enough. Noctis seemed to notice his puzzled expression and. “I knew they would try to call you. And I wanted to be awake to see you.”

Ignis’ heart grew three sizes. 

He was not, normally, so spontaneous but he allowed himself this. “I missed you, too.”

It was worth it for the way Noct’s face lit up. “Really?”

“I promise.”

“Then I guess I can take the medicine now. I should be out of it for a few hours but you will stay, right, Iggy?”

There was only one possible answer. Conflicted, Ignis bit his lip to keep himself from blurting it out thoughtlessly. The medicine would leave Noctis asleep for hours and he wanted Ignis there with him when he woke up. Probably longer than that even, possible have him stay over the night. His father would just have to be understanding. This was their prince, after all. “Of course.”

“I’m not making trouble for you, am I?” Noctis was too perceptive for his own good sometimes.

“I will have to talk to my uncle, but no, it’s no trouble at all.”

“Oh, good. Can you get it? The medicine? It’s in the—” Ignis was already on his way, before Noctis had a chance to finish speaking, “bowl on my bedside table. But that’s where you expected it to be anyway.”

“I like to think that I know you quite well,” he teased.

“That’s alright. I don’t need to have any secrets from you.”

The bottle of Noctis’ medicine was right where it should be and Ignis retrieved it — together with a spoonful of sugar and a glass of water his charge could use to wash it all down with. Noctis always complained about the bitter taste.

He tipped the bottle over the spoon and counted the drops falling onto the sugar. “Here you go.”

Noctis grimaced but opened his mouth and took the medicine without making a fuss, on his best behaviour for Ignis. _He must have some mischief in mind._

And true enough, Noctis patted the couch next to him. “You should sleep, too.”

It wasn’t proper but he could never refuse him. Lying on his side he cuddled up to him, one arm under Noctis’ head to use as a pillow, the other drawing them closer together. They talked for a bit, until Noctis couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.

When his breathing evened out in sleep, Ignis slid out of his embrace and out the door.

  
**+++**

Uncle Laeto was still sitting in the car waiting for him. He looked at the clock on the dashboard when Ignis slipped onto the passenger seat.

“Cutting it a little close, Ignis. Do they not have clocks in the royal apartments?” he asked jovially.

“I’m sorry. I—”

“No need to apologize to me. Atrox will make us both do it, though, if we don’t head back right now.” He turned the key in the ignition. “Fasten your seat belt, please!”

Ignis placed his hand over his uncle’s. “I can’t leave!”

Silence, except for the sound of the motor running. With a sigh Uncle Laeto turned it off. “Why did I know this would happen?” He turned to Ignis with a resigned look on his face. “You want to stay the night?”

Ignis nodded.

“I thought so. My brother won’t like it but I don’t have to tell you that. But maybe I can placate him somehow.” 

This was heading towards a certain direction, he was sure. But where? 

“You still haven’t had your lesson for the day. We will do it now. Then he won’t be able to complain, will he?” Uncle Laeto said conspiratorially. He unzipped his pants.

Ignis shied away when he reached out for him and tried to pull him in. “No!” 

He evaded the first try. On the second his uncle got him behind the neck, drawing his head down into his lap.

“I need to return to Noctis,” he protested. _I can’t let him wake up alone._

“You need to listen to your elders. We know what’s best for you.” Annoyed he applied even more pressure, only for Ignis to slap his hand away and retreat to his side of the car. 

“Uncle, please!”

His uncle was noticeably irritated now. “You forget yourself, Ignis!”

Clearly tired of waiting for cooperation Uncle Laeto descended upon him. He was being grabbed and turned around in his seat, his hands raised, placed around the headrest and tied with his own belt. Before long, his pants were being pulled down, with his underwear soon to follow.

“I never thought, I’d have to resort to this with you. It becomes apparent that even the most well-behaved boys are still just children who sometimes need a firm hand.”

That was the only warning he got, before a strong smack to his butt made his pelvis collide with the seat. A surprised cry left his lips. Another one landed, just as unrelenting, making his butt jiggle. The third strike made him strain against the belt binding his hands, but it didn’t budge, cutting into his circulation instead. The fourth hit the vulnerable spot between cheek and thigh. By the fifth Ignis had tears forming in his eyes.

But his uncle was far from done. Blow after blow rained down upon him, until he was a blubbering mess asking for forgiveness, for relief from the pain. He imagined his arse blooming red, soon to be turning black and blue; that’s what it felt like.

“Will you be reasonable now?” his uncle asked.

Ignis had never been spanked as a child; it had never been necessary. And maybe it wouldn’t have been all that effective anyway, as each hit just made him more stubborn, added fuel to the fire that was his anger upon being denied to see Noctis right this moment.

“Noctis. Needs. Me,” he bit out through clenched teeth. He fought even harder against his bonds.

The onslaught stopped and Ignis, foolishly, allowed himself to hope that his uncle had seen reason. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

The next blow was not delivered by hand. Instead a leather belt, folded in half, made Ignis’ body jump trying to get away. Every inch of his body screaming in protest.

A second hit, feeling like it was stripping the flesh off his bones. The leather, on impact made a cruel sound.

“Listen carefully. The sooner you start to accept this, the better for you, believe me.” Apparently he was waiting for some kind of conformation; the belt came down on Ignis’ thighs next, when he didn’t get it. “Are you paying attention yet?”

“Not... not like you’re giving me much of a choice here.”

“Fair enough.” For good measure, Uncle Laeto hit him again, but it was a love tap compared to the previous ones. Ignis heard the belt being flung aside and trousers being pulled down. At the same time a hand closed around the globe of his arse and Ignis hissed at the sting. 

“Atrox was right. Something about you makes people want to take you apart.” Lust undeniable in his voice. “He’s been toying with the idea of finding you a permanent owner for ages now and after that regrettable incident with Paro, well... there have been offers before, but this one would be about so much more than just money, you see? The political advantage coming with it is nothing to scoff at either.”

His large hands were roaming across Ignis’ burning backside, stroking raw skin and mapping the welts, risen in the wake of the belt, with his fingers.

“We are waiting to hear back from other interested parties, see if anyone wants to renegotiate. It’s pretty much a done deal, though.”

One hand traced up his spine, making him shiver. Kneading his neck for a second, then pushed between his shoulder blades while yanking Ignis’ hips in the opposite direction, coaxing him to jut out his arse some more. He pressed against him and Ignis felt his stiff member slotting itself between his cheeks.

“Of course, it will probably mean you’ll have to say goodbye to being the prince’s glorified babysitter.”

“No!”

“I can’t see a reason anyone would want their property fawning over a sick kid all day, royal or no royal. Unless whoever you end up with sees more value in having you stay by his side than my brother and I currently do. The prince is weak, unable to do much magic—”

“That’s not his fault!”

Ignis heard a spitting noise, the sound of flesh stroking flesh, then felt the insufficiently lubricated cock pressing against his hole, entering him roughly. He bit into his own arm to stifle the screams following this intrusion.

“And that, while true, is beside the point, Ignis. Insomnia’s future lies with us, the noble people of Lucis. Few still believe in your prince.”

His uncle gave him time, not much of it but it was something at least, before he started moving. Pushed deeper, waited another moment, pushed again. Expertly able to figure out the minimum amount of time for Ignis to start getting accustomed to it. _It’s intentional. Making it easier on himself but not me. But why?_

“Uncle, please!”

He savagely rocked into him. Each thrust aggravated the tender skin of Ignis’ backside, still red and burning. Ignis wailed into the crook of his arm.

His mind tried to flee, fly off somewhere else, where the pain was negligible and the betrayal of experiencing it at the hands of a loved one couldn’t reach him. Only one such place existed, but even that was tainted now, having heard that he would soon lose it forever.

What would he be without his prince to serve? Just some noble’s whore? A beloved pet? Would they try to claim a place in his heart? Try to get whatever other use they could out of him when they realized the futility of that desire?

His legs were pushed aside to open him further, his hips tugged closer, to allow for even deeper penetration. With one last shove Ignis’ uncle buried himself to the hilt. Ignis felt his balls slap against him and lurched forward, only to be forced back against the body ravishing him. 

Every time his uncle’s hips crashed into him it reignited the pain of the blows he had inflicted on his arse.

Ignis was terrified. His uncle had never been like this before. Aggressive, unforgiving, unrelenting. It didn’t fit with the image Ignis had of him in his head. Uncle Laeto... always looking out for him. Only wanting the best for him.

_What is the point of lying to yourself? If he cared, he wouldn’t do this. If he cared, he would protect me. If he cared, he wouldn’t consider taking me away from Noctis._

His uncle’s chin was resting on his shoulder while the man placed open-mouthed kisses up and down his neck. Arms wrapped around his waist, mockingly passionate, almost loving, but Ignis could no longer call it that.

Hot come flooded his channel.

Suddenly, he couldn’t imagine ever sitting next to this man again without thinking about being violated; and was only surprised that it had taken him this long to reach breaking point.

Numbness enveloped his body like a shroud. He stayed quiet and pliant while his uncle cleaned them up and made them presentable again. If the unresponsiveness bothered the man, he either didn’t show it or Ignis’ reduced senses failed to pick up on it.

When he returned to Noctis, he immediately crawled back onto the couch with him and buried his head against his shoulder, clinging to him like a drowning man to a piece of driftwood. 

He was haunted by the words with which his uncle had seen him off. 

“Enjoy what little time you have left with him.”

  
**+++**

The sky outside was red and orange and pink when Ignis woke again. He had slept for hours. It must have been quite necessary then. _I suppose I haven’t been sleeping all that well recently_. And who could blame him.

But here, right next to Noctis, he had gotten the most rejuvenating hours of sleep he’d had all week.

And soon he would lose it all.

A low, distressed sound left his throat. His arms around tightened around Noctis.

“Iggy?”

Shocked, Ignis raised his head and looked right into Noctis’ face. The prince as wide awake, watching him concerned. He must have awoken even before Ignis did. How humiliating.

“Is everything alright? You were crying in your sleep. I was thinking about waking you up don’t then you did on your own.”

Ignis didn’t answer. He wished, he wished he didn’t have to talk about this but Noctis deserved to know the truth, to hear it from him instead of anybody else. He couldn’t lie about, not about this; it was too important. And even if he wanted to pretend (which he didn’t), he doubted he could fake that everything was just fine, not with how he was feeling right now.

Nonetheless, he had been silent for too long, while he tried to find the words to tell him, and Noctis’ concern only deepened. “What is it, Iggy? Please talk to me! I can tell something is wrong.”

“Yes, indeed, there is something. I uh...”

 _Why is this so hard?_

Frustrated with his lack of discipline in the face of a tough challenge, Ignis abruptly stood up to pace. He realized his mistake the second the pain hit him. The movement was torture, sending shockwaves of pure agony through his entire body. His backside felt like on big bruise, sore and aching from the abuse it had suffered.

Ignis clapped a hand over his mouth but couldn’t take back to noise he had already made. Face pale, looking alarmed, Noctis tried to scramble to his feet as well. He reached for Ignis, even while his legs gave out from under him.

They tumbled to the floor.

Noctis recovered faster. Propped up on his elbows, he looked down at Ignis. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

“I am.” He closed his eyes, knowing he would be unable to continue, if he could see Noctis’ reaction. “It’s my fault. I disobeyed. And my uncle— ”

“Your uncle hurt you?”

“He was very mad. I didn’t listen. But Noctis, they want... my father and him, they want to give me away to serve someone else. I don’t know how to stop them.”

It was good getting the words out. Not enough to lift the heaviness of their meaning, but he felt relief having finally said it.

“They can’t!” Noct burst out indignantly and tried to get up.

Ignis disentangled himself from the jumble of limbs and sheets on the floor. He helped Noctis back onto the couch. “Apologies for upsetting you.”

“Ignis... It’s not you. It’s them! They can’t! I won’t allow it!”

“Touching as it is to hear that, you don’t have that power just yet.”

There was someone who did, though. He saw the same realization hit Noctis as well, the sadness and worry on his face slowly forming into hope and determination, as he pulled out his phone. Ignis didn’t need to watch the screen to know the person he was calling.

 _Would he... really?_ For someone like him?

King Regis took no more than the time to get from the council chambers (where Ignis knew he had been) to Noctis’ rooms. He must have left immediately after they ended the call.

Ignis shouldn’t allow himself to hope just yet but he couldn’t help it. _If not for me, he would do it for Noctis. He would do anything for his son._

He awkwardly stood to the side, while the king sat down next to Noctis and took his hands in his. “What’s this about then? It sounded urgent. Is your back getting worse?”

Noctis shook his head. “It’s not me. It’s Ignis.”

“I see,” the king said after listening without interrupting while Noctis repeated what Ignis had told him. He calmly turned towards Ignis. “How did he hurt you? Should we get someone from medical to see you?”

“That’s really not necessary,” he deflected. Something else had caught his attention. “Pardon me for asking, but you didn’t seem surprised to hear about this, your Majesty.”

“Observant as always,” King Regis praised him and smiled kindly. “Yes, I was already made aware of this situation.”

Noctis and Ignis both looked at him, stunned.

“I hope you will forgive me for intervening without consulting you first, but it is all taken care of. Staff is already preparing a room for you. You will officially be moving into the Citadel. Your uncle was instructed to send all of your belongings here. You won’t have to see him, or your father, again. Unless that is what you want.”

“That is the best news!” Noctis flung himself at his father and hugged him fiercely.

King Regis returned the embrace carefully, mindful of his son’s bad back. “Now, will you both please allow me to get you the medical attention you need? Yes, you too, Noctis, you likely need another dose of your medicine.”

How could they deny him after that? Ignis got the wheelchair for Noctis, taking it upon himself to wheel him all the way to the medical ward. Prove to everyone and himself that the king chose correctly when he made it possible for Ignis to stay by his son’s side, not just once but twice now.

He noticed there was more than the usual bustle of activity going on in the royal wing, when they left Noctis’ quarters. At the end of the hallway servants were coming and going to one room in particular, carrying some things inside, taking other things out.

It wasn’t the room Ignis usually stayed in when he previously slept at the citadel; closer to the king’s apartments then Noctis’. That was why it took him a moment longer than it should have to realize that what he was seeing was what King Regis had talked about, when he said that a room was being prepared for him. _Why can’t I just stay in the one I always do?_

A warm hand squeezed his shoulder and Ignis looked up. The king smiled reassuringly.

It was probably nothing, just understandable paranoia after what he had been through these last couple of days, but he thought the hand on his shoulder stayed there for far longer than it should.


End file.
